Those were among the most blunt and bitter assessments expressed by Sabres players while cleaning out their lockers Monday. The comments reflect a sober close to a frustrating year in which the Sabres, and their high-priced lineup, fell so far short of their Stanley Cup-contending expectations that they failed to make the playoffs altogether.

A frantic late-season run, in which the Sabres went 20-8-6 over the final two-plus months, wound up falling three days and four points short of making the playoffs. With 89 points, Buffalo (39-32-11) finished ninth in the Eastern Conference standings by registering its fewest points since 2003-04.